Rechargeable batteries are employed in different settings, for example in electric cars, in handheld devices such as mobile phones, or as backup power sources in stationary devices such as mobile communication base stations. In many cases, it is desirable to charge the batteries both quickly and efficiently when a main power supply is available, such as line power (or mains power). However, during charging, batteries may be vulnerable to high charge currents and/or high temperatures. High temperatures and/or high charge currents may cause unwanted chemical reactions in the battery which may damage the battery and/or may cause the performance of the battery to deteriorate. In batteries comprising multiple battery cells, it may be important to monitor and control the distribution of the charge current amongst the cells so as to avoid imbalance between the cells, which may otherwise cause the performance of the battery to degrade, and/or cells in the battery to be damaged. In addition to maintaining battery performance, such monitoring and control may be important to ensure safe operation of the battery during charging and/or discharging, as batteries may contain materials or substances which may cause dangerous chemical reactions if the battery is not used properly.
Although many different types of batteries and battery modules have been proposed, it would be advantageous to provide new battery modules for addressing at least one of the issues described above.